The Queen's Pain
by DishonorOnYourCow
Summary: Cassiopeia is a pureblood. That doesn't mean she's proud of it, another thing she's not proud of. Rabastan Lestrange, her betrothed. Now she's made a spectacle of herself, and that stupid Sirius Black keeps judging her.


Chapter One:

_Dear Cassiopeia,_

_I hope you have not done anything to shame me. You are not the daughter I would have wanted, you are a horrible blood traitor. However your father and I have found what we feel to be a reasonable solution. We assume you know of the Lestrange family. They are the perfect pure blood family, no blemishes at all. No one like you._

_They have two boys and a daughter, Hydra. As I'm sure you know Bellatrix, a wonderful girl, so strong willed with the proper views on blood and family, is intended for Rodolphus. Rabastan Lestrange however has no intended._

_You are now intended for him. It has been decided. Resistance is futile._

_Your Mother_

I tore my eyes away from the letter and stormed down the stairs of the girls dormitory where my owl always brought my mail to, so I may read in private. Running through the halls I reached the Great Hall in record time. Rushing over to the Slytherin table I glared at Rabastan.

He looked up at me and stood with a smirk on his face, "Well, if it isn't my beautiful bride."

I felt my ears turning red with anger, pulling back my arm I punched him straight in the nose, an overreaction, but necessary at the time. "You can take that as a bloody no, and tell your whole family to go to hell!" I screamed at him, attracting the attention of the entire Great Hall.

Holding his nose, Rabastan gave me a superior look, "Honey, you seem confused. You don't have an option, I'm going to break you. I will enjoy the day I do, you're stuck with me. Don't mess with me, you'll regret it and your family will side with me, no matter what I do to you." Then leaning forward he whispered, "Run along," in my ear.

The truth of his words hit me, rooting me to the spot. The decision had been made, I was his, he could do what he wanted with me, he could break me, he could kill me, my family wouldn't care. I felt the tears gather in my eyes as I stared at him.

"Oh, sweetheart, the sight of me is making you teary eyed. I know I'm handsome but this is just silly." The tears began to fall and I ran. I ran past the crowds of people staring at us, the people entering the Great Hall, up staircases, around corners, through random passages. Until I did something I would of thought impossible in 7th year, I became lost.

My frenzied pace slowed as I looked around the hall I was in. The walls were lined with a mirror that was fogged slightly a bluish color, there were paintings all connecting to make a single chain of a pond rimmed with little pink and yellow flowers, vines with larger deep blue flowers hung down the smooth rocks into the blue water, fish leapt as a slight rain hit the pond making rims a rainbow was appearing out of pale sunrise clouds in the background. The strokes were thick and textured adding to the effect of the paintings magical movement. I could hear the sound of the rain, much heavier rain than would come from the paintings. Looking up I saw the ceiling was a simple gold carved with detailed creatures, from nymphs to unicorns all amazingly beautiful. Splashing with the sound of raining as little gold music notes floated into it creating a surge of gold drops that drifted slowly back to the ceiling.

Leaning against the mirrors I just listened to the sound and wonder what this place was and what to do with the remains of my life. I didn't really have any friends because I was either shy or explosively tempered, I had acquaintances of course. No one who would understand where I was coming from, understand the pain I was brought up in.

I wrinkled my nose letting my well masked secret, no one knew I was an animagus, turn me into a little blue chickadee, as I was about to fly away I saw someone else walk through. I looked down to see the Marauders, they were part of my house and my year but we'd never spoken. I was the drifter and the were the popular and amazing trouble causing bad boys.

Sirius was talking, "I wonder what that girl's problem was. I don't like Lestrange but still he couldn't of said anything worth punching him and running away crying."

"Sirius, her name is Cassiopeia, and you don't know the situation. She's like you, so it probably that bad." Remus told him, sighing in exasperation. I think I may of actually talked to him he was always the nicest.

Sirius shrugged, "No, she's not like me. She goes to the balls without fighting, if a guy there asks to dance she complies, she agrees with everything her mother says, and she doesn't argue with the muggle slurs."

I felt my blood boiling again and landed behind them twitching my beak and rising back into a human. "Or maybe, her mother threatens her. Maybe every bad thing she does she gets a certain amount of the Crucio curse, maybe every muggle joke she doesn't laugh at is a thin slice in her back, maybe she can't break away. Maybe you don't have the right to talk about anyone you can't be bothered to remember." I told him, my voice raising an octave with each rushed word.

They all spun around to stare at me, "Cassiopeia, Sirius didn't mean anything by it. Are you okay?" Remus spoke first, a peacemaker as always.

"No Remus, I did mean it. I'm punished to but my morals are worth more than a little discomfort." Sirius told me, a pure blood sneer on his face.

"13 minutes." I told them matter of factly.

"What?" James spoke up confused.

I looked into his eyes, "13 minutes. That's the longest I've ever been Crucio'ed , consecutively. So excuse me for complying, excuse me for being human. And just so you know I wasn't over reacting, but I don't need to defend myself to you." I told them turning on my heel, spinning back for a second, "Remus what is this place?"

He looked up for a second, "The Hall of Serenity, it looks a little different to each person."

I thought for a second, "Like amortentia?" I clarified.

He nodded, "Thanks, good bye Bonehead and Crackhead, see you Remus." Remus nodded, Sirius stared at me indifferently, James looked slightly hurt, and Peter was staring at the walls.

I walked away, to proud to voice that I didn't know how to leave. I instead walked until I found an open window in an empty corridor and flew out. I sailed into the Forbidden Forest unwilling to go to classes, that day, I had too much else on my mind. I watched a unicorn herd running through the meadow in the center of the forest, the centaurs archery practice, and admired the nymphs brushing the hair, I spotted what I believed to be a Chimera but dared not get close enough to verify this fact.

She flew back to the castle a while later transforming in her room and collapsed on her bed. She should probably go talk to McGonagall, and explain herself. Sighing she heaved herself up from the bed she had been able to relax on for barely a minute before her conscious interfered.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs Remus fell in step beside her, "Where have you been?" He asked.

"I was enjoying the fresh air and trying to not think." She told him part of the truth, enough of the truth.

He looked at her, "I was worried. You seemed really upset and you've been missing all day, you seemed really upset."

She looked at him, "If I tell you my problem do you promise to not tell Black?" He nodded, "I'm engaged. I got a letter today, I think I still have it." She shuffled through her pockets and handed him the letter, continuing her story as he read, "So I went to my betrothed, Rabastan, the git. His first words to me we're 'Look it's my beautiful bride.' I snapped and punched him and screamed something about his family and hell. The he told me he owned me and he was going to break me. That he could do anything to me and my family wouldn't care, that I couldn't change anything. He was right I just felt so lost, I started crying."

Remus looked up from the letter, "I'm sorry. I know that doesn't make it better, I know that it hurts having to live with something that you have no say in."

"I'm sorry, but there's no way you can know." I told him shaking my head.

He stopped walking and placed a hand on my arm, "I'm a werewolf." He stared into my eyes waiting for a reaction.

I felt him start when instead of screaming I hugged him, "Remus, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that, I just feel so lost."

He smiled, "It's okay, are you sure your not scared."

I looked behind him, "There's no full moon, I'll save the screaming in terror until then." Looking around I saw we hadn't even walked out the portrait hole yet, "I'm gonna sleep see you in the morning Remus."

He smiled, "Goodnight Cassie."


End file.
